Ancient Eskimo Village Discovered Thanks to Depleting Arctic Ice Caps

Earlier this week, TakePart reported on the record lows recorded in the Earth’s dwindling Arctic ice cap coverage. The dire implications of reaching that kind of planetary milestone are obvious, but there is one consequence that could actually prove helpful to us.

BBC reports that a 500-year old Alaskan Eskimo settlement was recently discovered eroding from under the permafrost, and it’s giving researchers the ability to study a culture that went through its own dramatic climate change centuries ago.

Researchers report that under the frozen site are the ancient ruins belonging to the Yup’ik Eskimo society. The Yup'ik―which are still represented in Alaska today―were one of the last Eskimo societies to be contacted, and in their heyday, were among the Arctic’s most powerful and well-represented cultures....